Horsemeat in the EU food chain

In the EU food safety system, EFSA’s role is to provide scientific advice to risk managers regarding food and feed safety. The contamination of beef products with horsemeat raises issues of false labelling, food quality and traceability The ability to track the journey of a foodstuff or ingredient through all stages of production, processing and distribution. in the EU food chain. While there is no evidence to date of a food safety concern, EFSA stands ready to provide scientific assistance to the European Commission and/or Member States should this be required.

In the European food safety system, risk assessment  A specialised field of applied science that involves reviewing scientific data and studies in order to evaluate risks associated with certain hazards. It involves four steps: hazard identification, hazard characterisation, exposure assessment and risk characterisation. is done separately from risk management The management of risks which have been identified by risk assessment. It includes the planning, implementation and evaluation of any resulting actions taken to protect consumers, animals and the environment.. The European Commission, European Parliament and EU Member States are the key risk managers in the EU system. They are responsible for determining European policies and making decisions to manage risks associated with the food chain such as this case of entry of horsemeat into the food chain.